By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
It’s been over 35 days since the U.S. federal government shut down; many federal workers are still furloughed, and some employees continue to work without pay.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
A scandal in the pork industry is suggesting the true motives behind the attack on voter-supported farmed animal welfare laws: In a settlement of a federal class-action lawsuit, disclosed in late September, Tyson Foods agreed to pay $85 million to address allegations of price-fixing in the pork market, the largest-ever settlement of its kind.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
One court after another has shot down the pork industry’s repeated challenges to the legality of our game-changing farm animal welfare laws. The most recent resounding win for animals comes from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which has upheld a Massachusetts law that bans the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and calves raised for veal.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
At midnight last night, the U.S. federal government shut down because Congress failed to pass funding legislation for the government in the new fiscal year, which begins October 1. When a shutdown occurs, “non-essential” federal workers are furloughed, which means they are placed on temporary leave in accordance with agency contingency plans. Some workers remain to continue operations deemed “essential,” typically working without pay until the federal government reopens.
Before the U.S. Senate adjourned on August 2, members advanced several key federal funding bills with significant implications for animals. We’ve been working hard to ensure the best possible outcomes – and we want to share some of the results with you, since we’re going to need your help to lock in the important gains we’ve secured.
Heart of hog country rejects Big Pork’s federal power grab
Iowa newspaper editorial opposes “Save Our Bacon Act,” calling it political overreach that undermines voters and humane farming progress
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
In his dystopian novel Animal Farm, George Orwell uses the pig, Squealer, to show how those in power use language, rhetoric and misdirection to spread propaganda, bend the truth and ensure their continued political and social dominance.
Orwell would have had a field day with the July 23 hearing at the U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee, which was called “An Examination of the Implications of Proposition 12."
After court losses, faction of pork industry again seeks congressional bailout to override farm animal welfare laws
New GOP bill and House hearing seek to nullify California’s Proposition 12, notwithstanding similar voter-approved laws across red, blue and purple states
STATEMENT: GOP-controlled House Ag Committee ignores animal welfare, voter will and state laws
WASHINGTON (July 18, 2025)—Humane Word Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statement ahead of a scheduled July 23 congressional hearing on California’s Proposition 12.
